Lloris: Stay focused

Brasilia: Didier Deschamps looks to have stuck to that winning formula as a coach, employing both dramatic speeches and quiet words of encouragement to get the best out of his troops.

It has clearly been working, and he struck a note of genuine enthusiasm after Les Bleus sealed their place in the last 16. “It’s a huge satisfaction for me and my staff,” the Fifa website quoted Deschamps as saying.

“I’m proud of what the players have achieved. We need to appreciate this moment. When you look at the other matches, you realise that this is a very difficult World Cup. Some big nations have already been eliminated, but we’re still here.”

According to captain Hugo Lloris, France’s form in the group stage would count for nothing if they failed to perform in pre-quarters. “We will need to stay focused and this kind of match will be decided on a detail. So, we will need to be vigilant right till the end. You need a lot of energy and concentration at this stage if you want to get through,” he said. (AGENCIES)